the Cacktus Crew
by RenegadeZabuzaMomochi
Summary: Everyone loves the thrill of an adventure. You can find romance, face impossible odds together and have a happy ending... BUT NOT FOR THE CACKTUS CREW! Join the Ragnarok Adventure Team as they unravel many mysteries together and discover themselves during the most inane of moments! Rated Mature for a reason.
1. Chapter JUAN

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Ragnarok, blah-blah.

_**the Meat Shield**_

"I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready- OOPH!"

That was the sound of an overly-excited Crusader. His name is Bit but everyone called him the meat shield. When you put a bunch of sausages on your main defensive, you probably wouldn't wonder why he was called as such. But no, it was a term that was given to him due to the fact he's supposed to sustain that much damage though it wasn't the primary reason. And yes, this includes being shot in the ass by a certain Hunter.

Bit's face collided with a door, and the door happened to open in a quick motion so he was smacked in between the door and a wall that belonged to his guild's headquarters. Poking out from the door was a curious Hunter named Pierciel- and she happened to be the Crusader's betrothed. Normally, you'd find this kind of relationship to be kind of confusing but hey, if you got your ass handed to you by too many arrows that are impossible to launch at someone by human standards, then of course you'd rather be a meat shield than someone who'd want to challenge numerous pots and pans flying to your face. But that wasn't the reason he was called that, either.

"Eh?" Pierciel started scratching her head in confusion.

"What is it?" asked Ara, another Hunter in the guild.

"I thought I heard something. Oh well," Pierciel said, shrugging her shoulders and slammed the door shut. Bit then came sliding down to the ground.

"I'm okay..." Bit got up, holding his temples as his body started swaying dizzily from left to right.

"You know, Bit," a dark tone filled the silence, and it belonged to a Rogue. His name was Faust. "You ought to be careful where you're going, because you'd never know when..."

"YAAAHHH!" boomed a voice all too familiar. It belonged to a Monk named Ibuki and he was charging towards Faust with his fist launched forwards, his body engulfed with electricity as their comrade displayed an expression that belonged only to mad men.

"Ibuki!" Bit started waving enthusiastically at his fellow brethren. Faust took the remaining few seconds left for Ibuki to reach them, looking from Bit to the distance Ibuki had to cover in order to do so, and calculated a theory he concocted in his mind. Thinking quickly, he grabbed Bit, kicked his back like barbaric Spartans would as he watched onwards as Bit started to fly towards Ibuki, a liquid brown stain trailing behind him that smelled awfully like feces dripped to the floor. Bit screamed as he gulped and braced for impact.

"Hi, guys!" another voice piped up.

Now, fortunately for Bit came a Wizard whose name happened to be... Wizzy. But unfortunately for Wizzy, he only saw Bit and Faust- he was too daft to expect the incoming Ibuki nor did he hear the raging Monk coming in between them.

"ASURA STRIKE!" Ibuki shouted upon feeling his fist collide with someone's flesh after completing his Guillotine Fist technique. A loud yet almost comical grunt can be heard as Wizzy's eyeballs happened to pop out of his eye-sockets but that's besides the point. His lips were twisted like a fish's as he spat out some of his own saliva, and pressed his lips on Bit's by accident. Both of them were sent flying towards Faust.

"... No," Faust declared, feeling a sweat-dropping moment coming in. He simply stepped aside as both the Wizard and the Crusader crashed through the walls, Wizzy falling into another Wizard's crotch whilst Bit fell on a Lord Knight's lap. Wizzy got up to see the flamboyantly dressed Wizard staring at him, giving him the hungry eye while the Lord Knight was about to unleash a can of ass-whoopin' to the Crusader. They were Dhaos and Sigma, the Wizard and the Lord Knight, respectively. The two Hunters were laughing off in the background whilst the other guild members and their allies watched on with mixtures of both horror and pity.

Meanwhile, Faust was peeking into the guild whilst Ibuki approached him with two bottles of grape juice in hand. The Rogue looked to the Monk, shaking his head whilst stifling some laughter, preferring to keep it to himself before the whole building gets taken down.

"You do realize you have to pay for all the expenses, right?" Faust questioned Ibuki. Ibuki smirked, seemingly amused at the destruction he had caused.

"Yeeeaaahhh. Hahahahaha," Ibuki chortled. Ibuki placed his fists on his hips, his maniacal laughter filled the entire vicinity as Ara noticed he was nearby. Her eyes literally had hearts beating in and out from her sockets as she fluttered towards him. Faust kept an expression of indifference, folding his arms while the Lord Knight started cracking his knuckles to the unassuming Crusader. The two Wizards, however, were already engaging in a game of grab-ass.

"Huh? Hey! Hey, Sigma! How are you, man?" the Crusader shouted a bit too loudly for anyone within a two feet radius to tolerate. The Lord Knight leaned back from the excited Crusader, digging in his ear just in case his eardrums were broken.

"You know what? I'm not even going to bother," Sigma concluded, refraining from destroying the Crusader. He sat down and resumed his conversation with a female Priest named Asaka and some Blacksmith who happened to actually be black.

"Bother with what?" Bit wondered to himself.

"BIT!" shrieked Pierciel. Bit quickly turned back to where his beloved Hunter was, noticing her annoyed expression so he quickly ran to her side, knocking down a Super Novice, an Alice, a Zealotus who shouted "HEY!" at him as well as some of the trophies the whole guild managed to capture during events. Upon reaching his destination, Bit's smile faded as he realized Pierciel hadn't changed her seething look.

"Y-yes, my little flower?" Bit stammered.

"Did you even say sorry to that Alice or the Zealotus? Or Sardine?!" Pierciel demanded. Bit turned around to see the three females staring angrily at him. The rest were minding their own business.

"Ah, shit..." Bit slumped but he felt a gigantic hand land on his pauldrons. He looked up to see a giant man with a red scarf wrapped around his mouth and a bone-helm that resembled Satan-Morroc on his head. His hair cascaded neatly behind him and his large daggers can be seen protruding from the sheathes attached on his back.

"Give the kid a rest, Pierciel. He did bring you something, right, Bit?" Faust looked at the nervous Crusader. Bit looked in confusion but he managed to understand.

"Oh yeah! This is for you!" Bit gave Pierciel an elaborate box. She still kept her eyebrows furrowed at him but opened the box nonetheless. Bit gave Faust a thumbs up, completely ignoring the remaining three females who are still furious at him. A loud, excited shriek echoed the room as Pierciel held up rather rare items that can be found in Rune-Midgard. They were expensive pairs of bunny headphones. Faust nudged Bit's ribcage as he pushed him towards Pierciel, but not before quickly whispering the phrase "Don't be a dumbass" to him.

"This is perfect! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Pierciel hugged Bit as the poor Crusader began to blush to the point you'd think he belongs in Magma Dungeon. Not to mention the guy happened to be donning red as his primary colour.

Faust shook his head as he began to walk over to Ibuki with Ara still drooling over the Monk. Her face still had heart-shaped eyes and he could've sworn there were some hearts floating above her head. As he walked, he winked over to the Zealotus and the Alice, whose names were Mirajane and May respectively, according to their name-tags. He saw Sardine still fuming so he placed a hand on her shoulder, getting her undivided attention.

"Shit happens. Don't worry, it was an accident," he said, covering up for Bit's antics yet again.

"I'm not mad for him bumping into me... I'M FURIOUS FOR HIM KNOCKING DOWN MR. BUTLER'S BOWL OF PET FOOD!" Sardine shouted to the Rogue. Faust looked to the floor as the Rocker began picking off from the table though he didn't seem bothered at all. Sighing, Faust tossed the Super Novice a bag of pet feed he managed to grab during his trip to Prontera. Sardine shrugged as she returned to feeding her Rocker and reading her book.

"Hello, master!" a slithering voice called to Faust. It was an Isis, and he tossed her a satchel of pet feed. She began to follow him, as well as his Bongun and his Munak. Don't ask Faust why he gathers all these pets; it will never make sense to you. Two Baphomet Juniors were sparring on the ground without their scythes, he noticed. He reached Ibuki and they both fist bumped. Ibuki was already talking to Sigma and Asaka when he arrived, and the Blacksmith went behind the bar. "So who's going to fix the wall? Me or you? Or Sigma?" Faust asked.

"I vote for... Sigma!" Ibuki smirked. Sigma spat out his beverage as he scowled at the Monk.

"And why am I going to pay for the damages YOU caused, ass-wipe?" Sigma demanded. Asaka merely giggled at the both of them.

"Because I'm the strongest," Ibuki claimed as he did his characteristic maniacal laugh. Ara shrieked at this but it was only because the Monk was nude. Laughter filled the room and when he realized it, his entire outfit was stripped from him. Immediately, Ibuki began scanning the entire hall for the Rogue but the Rogue himself was naked though he didn't realize it. "What the fuck?"

"Oh man..." Sigma began but by then... everyone in the entire building was nude.

"Why are we all naked?" Faust questioned. He didn't bother covering his nakedness up because his Zealotus, Isis, Alice and his Munak were staring at his... cactus. And for convenience's sake, nobody else actually saw his genitalia because there **was** a cactus blocking the view. On the other hand, Ibuki and Sigma didn't seem to mind the attention.

"I thought it was you who stripped us!" accused Shou. Faust narrowed his eyes at the Priest, launching a ball of spit at the man's cheek.

"SPIT FIGHT!" Bit declared, spitting at Pierciel innocently but he realized his mistake. "Uh oh..."

Soon enough, the entire guild was spitting at one another with the exception of Asaka who managed to be the only smart one to utilize a technique where all incoming projectiles would be negated. And she happened to be the ONLY smart one who put their clothes back on. Ibuki sent a Guillotine Fist to Sigma but he dodged, accidentally sending it to Ara who was then sent flying towards the two Wizards who were engaging in a staff fight. And yes, it does look wrong. Sardine hid behind her Rocker while the Blacksmith was swinging his cart in no particular direction; he just begun swinging randomly for the sake of being involved in the fight. Pierciel kept launching non-lethal arrows at Bit due to the fact that not only can Bit withstand the assaults but it was their weird way of showing affection to one another. Sigma grabbed his spear- yes, his spear- and swung it at Ibuki's backside. The Monk flew towards Dhaos who managed to notice Ibuki from the corner of his eyes. Immediately, the Wizard directed his attention to the incoming Monk as he eyed his manhood hungrily. Ibuki yelled but thankfully, Wizzy, wanting a piece of vengeance, slammed his wizard staff at Dhaos. Unfortunately for Wizzy, his timing was horrible and his face slammed into Ibuki's crotch. Ara returned to the battlefield furious but her fury grew even more as she saw Wizzy's face buried in between Ibuki's legs. Grabbing her bow, she began to repeatedly shower Wizzy with arrows.

"This is madness!" cried out an Assassin. It belonged to Zetsu who was hiding on top of the chandeliers.

"Madness?" retorted a voice. Zetsu slowly turned around and lo' and behold... it was Thanatos. "THIS~! IS~! JENGAAA~!" Thanatos shouted, simultaneously kicking Zetsu in his rear as the Assassin began to fly towards Dhaos who was just recovering. The two collided into a makeshift tower belonging to Ness, a Ninja who was hiding from everyone, causing it to collapse like a set of Jenga blocks.

"HEY! I was hiding underneath that!" Ness cried. She crossed her arms, covering her breasts as she started at Thanatos in anger who responded by laughing.

"YEAH!" Shou came to her side as they both stuck their tongues out at them. They ran back into the building and hid underneath a table.

Wizzy began running away from Ara who was shooting him with arrows embedded with boiling hot onions while Ibuki was just punching anyone in sight. Sigma already threw four tables in rapid succession at anyone he sees while Asaka was seated on the bar's table, enjoying an ice cream treat to herself with Faust's Bongun at her side. She saw someone staring outside through the window, laughing mischievously to herself. It was a Stalker named Aena and Asaka remembered it was a prankish retaliation from when Faust divested her entire outfit at one point during Halloween and when Ibuki gave her a Guillotine Fist. Asaka shrugged as she was safe within her Pneuma's barrier. The Zealotus was side-by-side with the Alice, both of them armed with a whip and a broom to keep everyone at bay. Tenko, a Dancer, saw how their strategy worked so she grabbed the Munak though the Munak wanted to get less involved with the majority of the commotion going on.

"STOP! Why are we fighting, guys? We shouldn't be fighting!" Bit shouted from the center. Luckily for him, his Baphomet Junior was covering his gonads. "We're supposed to be a guild! A team! What are we fighting for? All this useless fighting that's-" Bit was unable to finish as the Blacksmith was thrown to him by Sigma.

"BATTLE ROYALE!" Sigma shouted. Ibuki responded by throwing a spiked mace at Sigma's head. Bit got up, channeling all of his aura into one as he unleashed his Grand Cross to his Baphomet Junior and nobody else. He returned to the fray as Pierciel accidentally shot an arrow right into his anus. Sardine was smart enough to get her clothes and put them back on with aid of Mr. Butler as she entered the fight, swinging her sword at just about anyone. Dhaos and Zetsu returned with Zetsu rubbing his back region in pain while Dhaos seemed to be pleased with whatever went on. Zetsu backed away from Dhaos in fear as Dhaos began patting his crotch. Tenko launched her whip at the Blacksmith's ankle, lifting him up to the chandeliers as she joined the Zealotus and Alice duo. The Munak managed to creep away before the fight got anymore ridiculous.

_One hour later..._

The fight itself was bloody, brutal and any word you could think of if you were there to witness it but its victory was undecided. Everyone but Shou and Ness managed to grab their clothes. They remained stationary underneath the table watching the fight. Luckily for them, the Munak gave them their clothes and they began to quickly dress themselves. Pierciel began plucking numerous arrows from Bit's buttocks while Wizzy was seated in a wheelchair next to Zetsu but the reason why Wizzy is in a wheelchair was because of Sigma and Ibuki.

**FLASHBACK**

Wizzy saw an opportunity to escape from the destruction so he took it. He began to sprint but sad to say, his face met Ibuki's fist as he soared through the air while his knees met Sigma's foot as he slid on the ground. Sigma and Ibuki looked at him dumbfounded, but shrugged before resuming their fight.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Dhaos was pushing Zetsu's wheelchair while Wizzy gave the Assassin "What the hell are you complaining about?" look. Ibuki had a few napkins shoved into his nostril while Ara was plucking debris from her hair. As for Sigma? He had an icepack on his head.

"Good times, good times," Ibuki fist bumped Sigma. The guild leader looked over to Tenko who was wrapping her ankles with bandages, then to Sardine who was handing out first-aid kits to everyone. He noticed Shou and Ness still underneath the table, both are unsure whether or not the battle had truly ended. Then his gaze met Wizzy's and almost burst out in laughter because he suddenly started to look like Kentaro from Golden Boy when he was nearly mauled to death by that one government official but held back. "Where's Faust?"

"Uh..." Sigma suddenly shot up and looked around. During the fight, Faust was nowhere to be seen. Both of them turned to Asaka who was tapping her cup of tea with a spoon nonchalantly.

"You would've noticed he was absent during the whole fight, yes?" Asaka questioned them a bit morbidly, almost as if she had a meaning behind the question. Sigma and Ibuki looked at each other, then back to her expectantly.

"Where do you think he went?" Ara asked to anyone who was paying attention. So far, Bit has been screaming from Pierciel yanking the arrows from his buttcheeks and the only ones within hearing range were Ibuki, Sigma and Asaka. The Blacksmith begun repairs as Wizzy began casting magic spells that would lighten up the building. Minor guild-mates were working together as well, hell, even the Zealotus cooperated with the Alice and the Munak in cleaning the rest of the place. The Bongun was giving refreshments to whomever needed any.

"He's hiding," Ibuki concluded.

"I doubt it," Sigma replied.

"Why?" Ibuki looked at the Lord Knight shoving two tissues up his nostril the way Ibuki has his.

"Think back of all the crap we've done. You think by now he'd pop out of nowhere with that wicked yell and we'd fighting again? He probably even plagiarized Bowling Bash from me!" Sigma groaned at the mere thought of getting smacked by his own Bowling Bash.

"I don't think he's that messed up," Ibuki stated.

"I didn't say he was messed up. It's just funny," Sigma pointed out bluntly. Ibuki thought about it and agreed by cracking up with laughter.

"Wait, so where would he be?" Ibuki asked Sigma in between breaths. Asaka giggled and both boys looked at her.

"What's so funny?" Ara asked.

"Sigma just answered your question," the Priestess said in between giggling fits. Ibuki and Sigma looked at each other in confusion. That's one thing about Asaka- she's cryptic but both veterans knew that means they have to prepare for something.

"I still don't get it..." Ara looked hopelessly at the ceiling. The Bongun approached Ara with a glass of water to which Ara immediately took before the Bongun began hopping away.

"Hey, is the fight over?" Ness asked as she began to come out from hiding with Shou right behind her.

"Yes, Ness, the fight is over!" Ara rolled her eyes at the Ninja. Ness smiled but before she got up, however, came a deafening shriek.

"TO VICTORY!" Faust came crashing in through the walls the Blacksmith just patched up as he was perched on top of Lord of the Dead's head. The MVP's horse bucked forwards before slamming its hooves on top of the table that Shou and Ness happened to be on, completely flattening it and possibly them. The Rogue let out a truculent battlecry as he pointed a rather elongated dagger at a portrait of himself doing the exact same pose on the MVP he coincidentally happened to be on.

"Hey, I owe him a favor!" Lord of the Dead shrugged as Faust's warcry ululated the entire region. Ibuki and Sigma looked at each other, and took up their battle stance. Asaka smiled, as she began her incantations to aid her fellow guildsmen. By then everyone was almost completely recovered and Ibuki whistled for Bit. Bit's eyes shot up and ran to Ibuki's side.

"Yo'!" Bit leaned over to Ibuki as the Monk motioned for him to come closer.

"YOU FIRST!" Ibuki pushed Bit towards the Lord of the Dead, the MVP's eyes glowing with an ominous red as it gave the Crusader a devious sneer. A smog started to form around it, as the ghastly horse exhaled a violent breath of smoke. Bit looked up as he held his sword and shield, gulping at the dreaded being.

"Your soul is mine!" the Lord of the Dead exclaimed at the Crusader as it raised its weapon in the air, Faust sitting on its pauldron with his arms and legs crossed, contemplating if he should sit this one out or if he should take the MVP down with his fellow compatriots. The demon's voice boomed as the hair on Bit's neck began to raise in fear of this malevolent MVP. He _was_ the first in line so he has a reason to be afraid, after all. Unbeknownst to the Crusader, the entire guild, including Faust after much thought, was right behind him. Bit casted Auto-Guard and Endure on himself as he charged recklessly to the MVP, yelling like an idiot though he knows full well he could possibly get killed but does so anyway because he'd rather endure the beatings for everyone else than watch those he cares about suffer for the world's sins.

_... and __**this **__is why he was called the meat shield._

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_

**AN:** Yeah, these are based on actual people. And don't forget to join us on Animus! Read and review! (I also don't mind suggestions. Give me one and we'll work with it.)


	2. Chapter TOO

_**the Crusader**_

His name was Bit. His full name was actually Bitonanimus Nuebe Uno Quesadilla Tequila Pachecho Rodriguez Navarro Juarez de la Taco Angelnuts Grande McSackface the IV. Junior. Everyone just called him Bit Angel the 91st for short. And prior to becoming a Crusader, he ran a potato stand in Prontera with Pierciel, the future Mrs. McSackface. Or Mrs. Angel, depending on whether or not Bit would actually change his surname. He had everything he wanted in Prontera; a loving family that consisted of him, his mother and ninety brothers, a dog named Zebra and his affianced. Life was humble for Bit- he didn't care for material things and he held everything precious to his heart. Hell, he even had a dream to become the best potato farmer Prontera ever had. That all changed, however, when Prontera came under attack.

It was a normal day for Bit. He woke up to a beautiful sunrise where even the birds greeted him. Hell, he even broke out in a Disney-style song-and-dance routine until one of his brothers threw a potato at his head. He saw his mother had prepared a cart for him to take to Prontera and went on his way. The road to Prontera was rough but he enjoyed the travel nonetheless.

"I love life," Bit said to himself. Almost every vendor in Prontera knew who he was for his gentle nature so he was treated fairly but it was mundane. He just never saw how mundane it was. Setting up his usual stand, he noticed some of Prontera's military personnel entering the city wounded. He was about to approach one of them with questions at hand but he was stopped by Pierciel. "Hey! Good morning!"

"And a good morning to you!" Pierciel greeted Bit.

"What happened to those guys?" Bit asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Prontera came under attack before you arrived but the Pax guard managed to force them out."

"Anybody died?"

"I think so. I saw one Stalker die, though..."

"Who was it?"

"I don't know. It was a girl, too."

"It must've been horrible."

"Yeah, it was..." Pierciel suddenly looked gloomy. Maybe the events witnessed made her that way, but Bit knew exactly how to make her happy.

"You know what I was thinking?" Bit grabbed Pierciel's hand as she returned a smile to him.

"What was that?" Pierciel laid her head on his shoulder.

"I think I'm going to become the best potato farmer not in just Prontera but I'll be so great even the gods will want them!" Bit exclaimed, his body language emphasizing his enthusiasm.

"... You're going overboard again, Bit." Pierciel laughed at the dreams the young man had. But it's all Bit needed to get the cart going and that's what made Pierciel happy about him.

"Nobody else is selling potatoes like I do! I think it can happen!" Bit exaggerated. Of course, he didn't really want to be cursed by Odin but it made everything less depressing during harsh times.

"YOU SUCK!" someone shouted at Bit. Pierciel turned around to see a couple of stooges mocking Bit; one even threw a rock at him but Pierciel caught it with her hands before launching two rocks at them. The rest ran away, obviously feeling intimidated by her.

"Losers!" Pierciel shouted after them.

"Eh, it's okay. I'm used to it," Bit said to her, shrugging his shoulders lazily.

"It doesn't mean you have to deal with it everyday, you know." Pierciel held his hands with hers as he stared into his eyes not filled with just love but determination- a look saying she means what she says.

"Yeah, well-"

"Excuse me," a voice interrupted. Both of them looked to see someone clad in heavy armour. "How much are your potatoes?"

"Ten zeny each," Bit replied.

"I'll buy them all. Double the price." This was a complete shock for Bit but he saw the man was not joking when he tossed him a pouch filled with more than double the amount.

"Yes, sir!" Bit excitedly filled the man's bag with potatoes. It was confusing for someone to actually buy potatoes since nobody really wanted them in the first place but who can judge him?

"Thank you... errr..."

"Call me Bit!" Bit stood proudly as he pointed to his chest and the name-tag he wore. It was scribbled poorly with crayon but he wore it proudly nonetheless. It was made from his niece so it sort of excused him.

"Right. Thank you for the potatoes, lad." The man threw the rather heavy sack over his shoulders as he walked away, and as Bit continued to watch the man, he noticed he was heading straight to where the rest of the army was going. He was a knight.

"Wow, I can't believe a knight actually bought all of our potatoes." Bit stared in disbelief.

"You're not having doubts about it, right?" Piercield asked, her head tilting to the side.

"No," Bit replied. He looked at Pierciel and thought of something. "I think I'm going to get you headphones that looks like bunny ears."

"WHAT! Those are costly!" Pierciel was taken back with astonishment as she blushed wildly.

"I'm serious! With this amount of money, if I can sell more batches of potatoes to that knight, I can get them!" Bit grinned.

"Or you can sell them to anyone who has the money for it," a voice spoke up. Bit and Pierciel looked up to see someone wearing black and white fur. He looked like a rebellious person. "And that was no knight. That was a Paladin."

"What's the difference?" Bit asked. The man smirked at Bit's curiosity.

"Knights are a class that may become Lord Knights. They're key offensive players when you want to demolish things. But a Crusader that transcends into a Paladin... well, you have both offensive and defensive warriors. And they're never afraid to take a beating."

"I still don't get it," Bit said.

"If you're not interested in it, you don't have to get it. It's not meant for everyone to comprehend." The man turned as he began to walk away.

"Who was that?" Pierciel asked.

"I don't know but that Paladin thing sounds interesting." Bit began to rub his chin thoughtfully at the idea of him being clad in armour. He even imagined himself saving Pierciel from zombies one day and they'd whisk away into a castle far off into the sea. Or something.

"Bit?" Pierciel poked the daydreaming man.

"I know! I'll do it!" Bit jolted back to reality. Pierciel jumped back slightly at his sudden explosive outburst.

"Do what?" Pierciel asked, gasping for air.

"I'll become a Paladin and I'll be the hero!" Bit smirked.

"You're crazy, you know that?" Pierciel grinned as Bit began laughing excitedly.

"I'm going to take the trials and become one! Watch out, Prontera! I'm becoming a Paladin!" Bit shouted to no one in particular but all of the vendors in Prontera were watching him. Some even shook their heads but respected his motivation.

"Aye-yai-yai, something tells me you're going to get yourself in deep trouble," Pierciel said to herself.

The two of them began making their ways to sign up for the trials. However, only Bit became the Crusader while Pierciel became something else.

_Two months later..._

Bit and Pierciel were stuck in a cave as a storm brew. The rain trapped them both to a cave where they had to rely on body heat and the thought of surviving just to live the next day. Bit had just recently become a Crusader while Pierciel became a Hunter. They were previously trying to take down a few monsters that were lurking in a nearby defenseless village and Bit thought it'd be a good way to get some recognition and some money. The good news was they still had food to last them a couple of days. The bad news would be that it was too cold.

"It's freezing," Pierciel shuddered. Bit looked at her and although he wasn't visibly bothered by the temperature, he was still freezing yet he placed his cape over Pierciel to give her warmth. "Thank you," she said softly, laying her head on his shoulder.

"You're welcome." Bit wrapped his arm around her to give her more warmth as he began thinking when the rain would stop. He looked at his sword, nearly damaged but not yet deteriorated. He thought how reckless he had been by endangering his and Pierciel's lives by fighting monsters they could not take on their own. "Sorry," he said after a few minutes had passed.

"For what?" Pierciel looked at his face. She noticed Bit didn't carry his usual smile; the smile that made everything okay.

"I nearly got us killed. It was my fault, I should've known better," Bit started to say, berating himself for the traumatic events. "Had I known the dangers, I would've never put ourselves in this position."

"Bit," Pierciel whispered to him calmly as she placed a palm on his cheek. Bit sighed as he looked into her eyes. "STOP COMPLAINING!" she yelled as she slapped him.

"Wha'..." Bit rubbed his cheeks as he looked at Pierciel standing with her fists on her hips.

"Are we in this together or not?" Pierciel bent forwards at him, their faces dangerously close.

"Yeah, but..."

"Not buts! Unless you regret this choice, then we're in this together! So we keep going, yeah?" Pierciel grinned. Bit smiled as he began to remember why he was even here in the first place: it was for _her_.

"You're right. We can do this! Grand Cross!" Bit shouted with renewed vigor.

"WAIT, NO!" Pierciel screamed but it was too late. He accidentally caused a tremor where the entrance to the cave sealed them in.

"... I'm an idiot."

"Yes, you're an idiot. You're lucky we can still escape."

"Oh, you're right!" Bit looked up to see a way out of the cave. It was a small opening but still manageable.

"I'm tired," Pierciel yawned, stretching her arms. "I think we should wait for the morning."

"Good idea!" Bit agreed. Pierciel leaned against his chest as Bit gulped. It was rare the two of them even got this close. And the entire situation would have been completely awkward if they weren't familiar with one another at all.

"I can hear it," Pierciel mumbled quietly to Bit.

"Hear what?" Bit replied as sweetly as he can to her. _My heart beating_, he hoped she would say.

"You fapping," Pierciel snickered. Bit let out a sigh of relief. He wanted to secure his masculinity as much as he can but something caught him off-guard.

"What's fapping?"

_After completing their task, Bit and Pierciel travel to Morroc..._

"This place is a desert." Bit looked around to see a few vagabonds staring at them.

"I don't like they way they're looking at us..." Pierciel notified Bit of her uncomfort.

"You kind of stick out. They're probably thinking we're from Prontera," Bit suggested.

"I hope that's what they're staring at." Pierciel followed Bit closely as he led the way.

The two made their way over to the center of the town where a small crowd had gathered. Bit approached a Kafra lady but before he could even ask anything, he saw something he'd never think he'd ever see. There was a Monk in a battle stance squaring off with a Lord Knight as a Rogue was officiating the match. The Monk begun several incantations, giving him some buffs for the battle whilst the Lord Knight brandished two spears. The Monk then slammed the ground as a crimson aura surrounded his form, his musculature slightly increasing. The Lord Knight wasn't threatened at all, no. He seemed to be amused. The Rogue raised his arm, then brought it down as a signal that the match had begun. Almost immediately the Monk rushed towards the Lord Knight with spiked knuckles worn on his fists, lunging one towards the abdomen section of the Lord Knight who didn't even bother to dodge. The Lord Knight took the fist to his stomach as he felt the heavy impact somewhat crushing his armour. As he slid on the floor with his hand trying to grip the ground beneath him, the Lord Knight looked up to see the Monk had taken flight into the air, a warcry breaking the sound barriers comparable to a sonic boom filled the center of Morroc as he descended rapidly. Upon his descent, the Lord Knight managed to quickly dodge the assault attempted on him though the Monk did create a minor fissure on the ground, a crater forming as a result. The Lord Knight grabbed one spear, energy accumulating the entirety of the weapon as he throws it at the Monk, fluctuating waves of energy forming behind the spear as an invisible force slightly pushes everyone within the parameter. Pierciel grabs onto Bit's garments as she watches the fight, nearly falling to the ground as the Monk simply grabs the spear's blade with his bare hands. Bit was seemingly amazed by this but notices the Monk's hands are now bleeding. Before the fight could continue, a loud roar could be heard throughout Morroc. The citizens began bickering amongst themselves as the fight was put to a halt.

"What's going on?" Bit asked no one in particular.

"Satan-Morroc. Rumors has it that the fell beast was just resurrected," the Kafra employee replied, tilting her glasses upwards.

"Is he powerful?" Bit asks almost naïvely.

"Is he powerful? He asked is he powerful, ahahaha," the Monk laughed. Bit turned around to see the trio had approached Bit and Pierciel.

"Well, is he?" Bit asked.

"I'll tell you this, Crusader. That hole in the center of Morroc wasn't natural. That was created by Satan-Morroc," the Lord Knight answered, pointing at the deep chasm behind them. Bit looked down as far as he could but a blanket of darkness prevented him from looking down further the ravine.

"How?" Pierciel asked.

"I stole his candy," the Rogue replied. He had a scarf wrapped around his mouth so you couldn't tell whether he was serious or not.

"So he wants to destroy you three because you stole his candy?" Bit looked at them expectantly.

"Us three? No, he wants to destroy Faust here because he's a sneaky bastard!" laughed the Monk as he pointed at the Rogue. Evidently, his name was Faust.

"But on a serious note," came another voice, although this time it was female. Bit and Pierciel turned around to see a Priestess followed by a Blacksmith. "He was destroyed by a legendary band of heroes. This crater was said to have been formed because of him, but the exact nature of how it was created is ambiguous."

"Hey, Asaka," the three greeted simultaneously. "Jinx. Fuck. Double jinx. TRIPLE! Oh yeah?" The Monk, the Lord Knight and Faust all leaned backed with their arms folded, each of them rubbing their own chins as they caught themselves saying the exact same things at the exact same time.

"What do you mean by ambiguous?" Pierciel asked.

"Meaning there are many variants to the story, and nobody knows the truth. The truth died with the heroes and nobody knows if they truly existed or not," Faust simply stated.

"Exactly," Asaka agreed. "What's true is Satan-Morroc, and if he can be bested once, he can be bested again."

"How many people did it take to beat him?" Bit asked. The Monk looked at Bit as if it was simple to answer.

"Strength isn't in numbers. It's in here," the Monk pointed at Bit's chest.

"Heart?" Bit gleamed with hope but the Monk, the Lord Knight and Faust looked at each other for a brief second in confusion.

"I guess but what Ibuki meant was your gears," the Lord Knight cleared up for the Crusader. That set Faust and Ibuki into fits of laughter, and Asaka couldn't help but laugh herself.

"Oh..." Bit felt defeated but Pierciel placed a reassuring hand on his pauldron.

"Don't get too worked up. At least you have a positive mind-set, kid." Faust approached Bit, holding out his fist but Bit just stared. "You bump your fist with mine. It represents a symbol of respect amongst warriors."

"Oh!" Bit pounded his fist with the Rogue and even though the Rogue wasn't covered in steel, he could tell the man's flesh was harder than his shield's. And how he presented himself was a good factor to that theory. "What do you mean by symbol of respect, though?"

"Think of it this way, Crusader. You're in the middle of a battle and you think you and your fellow comrades are going to die, right? So you can't hesitate, but you want to wish each other well. You have an option; waste more precious seconds doing ridiculous handshakes or just bumping fists. Your pick," Faust replied. Ibuki and the Lord Knight smirked at Bit, waiting for him to absorb the information.

"I see. Well, that settles it! My hat is off to you, fellow warrior!" Bit gave the group his best award-winning smile and thumbs-up. If it wasn't for the fact the group was neutral, they would've mocked him for it, he thought.

"Well, you already know my name as well as Faust and Asaka's. I want you to meet the big daddy cacktus," Ibuki pointed to the Lord Knight.

"Call me Sigma," the Lord Knight stated with confidence, greeting them both.

"Greetings! I'm Bit!" Bit fist bumped Sigma.

"Hey!" Pierciel curtsied.

"Who is he?" Bit pointed at the Blacksmith.

"Him? That's the Black Guy," Faust said as bluntly as he could.

"What?" Bit and Pierciel looked at him in confusion. They both looked at the Blacksmith who was in fact... black.

"What?" the Black Guy asked, slightly offended. "It's my actual name."

Bit and Pierciel stared at the Blacksmith while everyone else stared at the two lovebirds. A few minutes passed by and a tumbleweed rolled in between them.

_And so... the journey began for Bit and Pierciel after the duo had been integrated into their group. This was the beginning for the Crusader on his epic adventures as a part of the Cacktus Crew!_

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_

**AN:** The Ragnarok Adventure Team and the Cacktus Crew are one and the same. Please request more information regarding them as I will not divulge too much. Read and review, stay tuned!


	3. Chapter FLEE

**NOTICE: **Before reading this story, if anyone has a problem with my "racism," pause and rewind. If you find anything racist in this story or any story of mine, please- point it out so I can make you look like a douche-nugget. There's no such thing as race and flames will warrant a roundhouse to the face.

_**Grand Daddy**_

The fight against Lord of the Dead was arduous but not impossible. Sigma pulled his spear out from the fiend's mare, looking at the powdery stain embedded on his weapon. Looking at the MVP dissipate, he keeps a face of indifference. He was soon joined by Ibuki and Faust, the former cracking his knuckles while the latter rotates his shoulders. The trio looked back at the guild, Bit sprawled on the ground seemingly incapacitated from the battle while the rest appeared to be beaten half to death. Ibuki and Sigma fist bumped while Faust began to clean his dagger. After a brief minute or two, Asaka approached the three with bottles. It didn't take them long to gulp down the bottles and soon after, they felt rejuvenated. Asaka looked to the rest of the guild, noticing more than half of them on the brink of death but no fatalities.

"Like I said, you'll find him when you need him, no?" Asaka gave the Monk and the Lord Knight a grin that spelled mischief.

"You and your riddles, Asaka. When is it ever going to end?" Ibuki jokingly asked.

"Something tells me I was the subject of discussion before I crashed the party," Faust guessed.

"And crashed the building but yes. Good one," Sigma smirked. Looking at the Blacksmith making repairs yet again, he shook his head as he went back to the bar.

"You're getting old, Sig," Ibuki said randomly.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sigma turned to see Ibuki giving him a smug look.

"It means you're going to be the guild's grandpops," the Monk replied, folding his arms.

"And it means your balls are going to sag," Faust added, scoffing at the Lord Knight's expense.

"Yeah? But this old fart will teach you two baby cacti a thing or two," Sigma declared, promising an ass whooping later on. The two merely laughed as they decided to join Sigma at the bar.

"Technically speaking, it should be Ibuki who's meant to be the ancient master of fighting, but alas... he has yet to transcend," Asaka commented.

"What's that supposed to mean!" Ibuki demanded while Sigma and Faust laughed.

"It means you're an amateur," she replied as plainly as she could, not bothering to change her expression of indifference which added to the hilarity. It even made the Monk laugh.

"You know, I kind of feel sorry for the Black Guy. He's the only one who actually makes the installations to this facility," Faust said as he nodded over to the Blacksmith hammering away. Luckily for him, the Bongun and Isis were actually lending assistance.

"You don't gotta' feel sorry if he gets paid," Sigma assured the Rogue. Faust pondered to himself for a bit before shrugging.

"What happened..." Bit stirred as he got up, holding his head with his right hand as his left held the ground. He felt like he was going to puke.

"Welcome back to the real world, sleeping beauty," Sigma chided.

"Did we win?" Bit asked.

"Oh yeah, we won. He even gave us a card," Faust held up the MVP's card. That caught the rest of the guild's attention. "And I delivered the killing blow, so it's mine!"

"No, it's mine!" Ibuki swiped the card from Faust's grip.

"I'm actually advanced, it belongs to ME!" Sigma grabbed it from Ibuki.

The Monk and the Rogue looked at the Lord Knight as he gave the two a cocky grin. Faust and Ibuki looked at one another, silently agreeing to a temporary alliance but before any fighting can ensue, Asaka grabbed the card and placed it in a box. The three looked on as she placed the box in a safe where more of their rewards were stashed, locking the safe after doing so. Afterwards, she drops the keys into her blouse where nobody with the right sense of decency would try to take from her. That and she was well-respected amongst the guild. Hell, not even Thanatos would bother trying to thieve it from her and Thanatos avoiding eye contact would back up that claim.

"It belongs to the guild." Asaka smiled, forcing the three to submit.

"I suffered broken bones for that one..." Faust slumped, feeling his femur slightly fractured from the onslaught. Asaka glared at him, and he swore he saw fire in her eyes. The guild probably felt it, too, so they all avoided eye contact. "But I don't mind donating to the guild!"

"Better." Asaka hummed to herself merrily as she went to her room. The three sighed in defeat.

"Gotta' admit, without her around, there wouldn't be balance," Sigma said thoughtfully.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean!" Ara whined.

"Shut up, we're not talking about you," Ibuki replied. Ara was about to say something but kept the comment to herself.

"The old man means she brings a certain balance to the group. Without her, we'd be fighting over the card and any asshole who has more energy left will swipe it. Then drama will happen and the guild will break apart," Faust detailed to clear up any confusion.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense," Ara pondered.

Sigma looked on as the guild managed to get back up. Recollecting all of the memories stored in him, he remembers how it started. It was him, Ibuki and Asaka at first, with the Black Guy following shortly after. Then Faust joined the traveling group before they met everyone else. But thinking back on those days, it was just the three of them; Asaka, Ibuki and Sigma. The oldest friendship within the group. He remembered how he and Ibuki were competitive in about everything they did, and how Asaka just minded her business. During harsh times, she didn't revel in the thought of it. When everyone else was down, she had the right aura to bring the group back to life. Sure, the Crusader had the enthusiasm and was vocal when the guild needed their morals boosted... sure, Ibuki didn't understand the meaning of the word defeat... and sure, Faust didn't give a damn about anything period. But the difference between them and Asaka was that Asaka actually showed it. That was the balance she brought to the group- her silent wisdom.

A loud crash was heard, and Sigma turned to his left where he noticed Wizzy and Zetsu were bickering amongst themselves. One of the chandeliers fell near Shou and Ness, and soon it would be a two-on-two battle. It never progressed the moment the Priestess entered the room, however. Sigma hopped over to the bar, grabbing a few mugs and began filling it with purple liquid. Faust and Ibuki saw what he was up to and decided to join him, followed by Asaka. Ara noticed Bit whining after Pierciel pressed on his wounds with a gigantic ice pack and found the moment funny. Dhaos was staring at Wizzy's behind hungrily as he began making suspicious and not to mention lewd movements with his hand in his pants.

"Give or take... a few more months and we'll move from this shit-hole into a castle," Ibuki said, breaking the silence.

"What makes you say months? You and I are more capable field commanders, and Faust is the closest to us. Shou and Asaka are mainly support roles, then the rest are still adjusting," Sigma commented.

"Not to mimic Bit or anything, but I don't doubt our progress." Ibuki took a swig from his mug. "Give me more, you walking tin can!"

"Shut up, you brainless tic-tac!" Sigma spat back.

"Come here and I'll freshen your breath!" Ibuki invited. Both of them grinned at each other. They were competitive, all right.

"Elaborate," Asaka commented. That was enough for the boys to cease fire.

"Well," Sigma cleared his throat. "With the way, I look at things, we'd lose before we even got into the castle grounds. We have more chances of survival than anyone."

"I meant the both of you," Asaka commanded.

"All I gotta' say is I won't give up on the guild," Ibuki offered. There was not much to explain.

"Well, then. I'm not the only one who brings balance to the group, aren't I?" Asaka smirked. That caught them off-guard.

"... owned. You got owned. Both of you," Faust pointed out, laughing at the two of them.

"They aren't the only ones who bring a balance, Faust," Asaka remarked, immediately stopping the Rogue in his tracks. Faust looked at the Priestess before looking at the Monk and the Lord Knight, both of whom returned his gaze. "Everyone plays a little role here, and Sigma just pointed out you were the closest to serving as a tertiary leader because you make yourself be heard. He doesn't doubt our capabilities but he wants us to be ready. Ibuki doesn't seem to be bothered at our rate of success or failure, however you want to look at things. As for you? I think you're an in between. You want to be ready for battle yet you don't necessarily seem to mind others' faults, no? Maybe you're more versatile than you led yourself to believe and you could be more of a balance yourself." Asaka took a sip from her flask politely while the Rogue stared at her with a blank expression, mostly in awe at her sense of wit. Ibuki and Sigma looked at one another before observing the conversation more carefully.

"Well... uuuhhh..." Faust began but thought against it.

"Hrm? Your own cleverness being rivaled?" Asaka gave Faust a playful look.

"Well, shit. You're right but you know..." Faust leaned his cheek on his fist as he stared at his beverage, Asaka giggling at the man as Ibuki and Sigma gave each other low-fives.

"I didn't mean to point out my observation, but it's still common sense. You said yourself common sense is key, no?" Asaka replied with a rhetoric. Checkmate, and the Rogue is out. Faust's eyes widen, slightly shocked but all of them found the situation humorous.

"Did I just get..." Faust said but was interrupted with Sigma and Ibuki leaning towards the Rogue, smiling at his expense.

"... OWNED!" Sigma and Ibuki shouted simultaneously at the Rogue. Faust grimaced at the two but she was right. Sigma got up, heading out to the door.

"Where you going, old man?" Ibuki asked, looking at the Lord Knight. Sigma stopped but didn't turn around.

"Heading out for some fresh air." Sigma left the premises, though the only ones who seemed to pay attention were the trio.

"Like I said," Asaka began. Ibuki and Faust looked at the Priestess, paying close attention to her words as Ara and Sardine joined the two. "Everyone has a bit of a balance here. There is no I in the word TEAM. But all of you already know that."

"Agreed," Faust noted, holding his flask of grape juice up. "Everyone has a specialty."

"Yeah, take a look at Wizzy." Ibuki pointed to the Wizard just standing idly by like a zombie, noticing how blank his face looked and a bit of drool coming out from his mouth.

"DUUURRRHHHPPP," Wizzy cried out. Faust and Ibuki looked at him for a brief moment before laughing hysterically.

_Outside of the guild..._

Sigma began making observations as he leaned against the wall of the guild's building. His arms folded, his eyes began scanning the area as he contemplated. He can hear laughter inside the building, and it was comforting to know how cordial every member has become. Why was he outside by himself? There are days when warriors needed time to think for themselves, to make preparations for their next move, regardless of what it is. It's the law of the battlefield. Only reckless sovereigns risk their soldiers during war just to win. But a commander knows better. Anyone would enough common sense would try to avoid casualties as much as he can. He learned that a long time ago, and the closest "new" face to emphasize that rule was Faust but that could've just been from Faust's career choice. He wasn't meant to fight front-lines so the Rogue was calculating. He also understood the necessity for power. Without strength, you cannot protect anything. Ibuki emphasized that, especially of the constant tribulations the two of them went through. Sigma felt something flickering in the distance so he chose to look up. Everything was by choice and despite how advanced he was, he decided to stick with the guild field with rookies. The atmosphere was positive so why let go of something good when you got it? In the distance were two teenagers, probably aspiring to become Swordsmen themselves as he saw them sparring with one another. Each of them held wooden sticks. Humored a little, he decided to approach the two, taking only a couple of minutes to reach his destination.

"Hey," Sigma called out. Both boys looked up, exalted by his appearance.

"A Lord Knight!" one of them cried. They seemed to be excited.

"You're Sigma!" the other one said.

"Yes, I am." Sigma stood proudly, not entirely astonished that he was recognized but pleased he has marvelous reputation amongst the continent.

He trained with the two boys for a few minutes, giving them tips and pointers on how to fight properly and common tactics for survival. That's why Sigma was the virtuoso to Ibuki. Both of them had comparable knowledge about Rune-Midgard, and while both were adept, Sigma knew how to keep Ibuki in check. Despite the age difference, it was Sigma's indifference to the conventional that made him respected. Faust may be an unconventional fighter, but Sigma was an unconventional person in general. One moment Sigma is here, the next he could be off venturing alone for the guild, whether he needs to advise the members or not about anything in particular. This was why he was a reason he was referred to as the "Grand Daddy Cacktus."

After a brief moment, Sigma went back to the guild building but not before giving his farewell to the youth. When they disappeared from his line of sight, Sigma was about to open the door but it opened for him, slamming him in between the walls and the door. Out came Asaka, Faust and Ibuki. The three of them looked around but didn't see any signs of the Lord Knight.

"Didn't Sigma say he was stepping out for a breath of fresh air?" Ibuki commented.

"Fresh air? I thought he said fresh ass," Faust joked.

"Either way, he isn't here. I guess we can just wait until he takes too long. Then we can look for him," Asaka suggested. Ibuki and Faust shrugged, closing the door as Sigma began to slide down the wall.

"... These... God damn... brats..." Sigma began but once again, the door opened, returning him to his sandwiched position, this time by Ara.

"You sure he's not out here?" Ara called out.

"If we didn't see him, what makes you think YOU would?" Ibuki replied.

"Okay!" Ara closed the door, letting Sigma slide to the floor again.

"I swear to everything holy in Odin's ass!" Sigma cried out. A second letter, the door slammed him to the wall for a third time.

"Did you hear something?" Sardine asked no one in particular.

"You could be hearing things. It must be post-traumatic stress disorder from all of the fights we've gone through and..." Shou began.

"Thought I heard Sigma," Sardine concluded, ignoring the Priest. She closed the door as the poor Lord Knight began swaying dizzily.

"Please... have mercy..." Sigma begged as he tried regaining composure. Unfortunately, the entire pantheon seemed to ignore his plea as the door opened up for the fourth time.

"All right, we're off to the market!" Ness called out. Shou was right behind her, the two of them tasked with getting food for the guild.

"Make sure you balance the cheque!" Faust called out, his hands cupped together as a make-shift megaphone. Ibuki crossed his arms as he watched the two about to bicker, Ara leaning forwards with her hands on her hips as she glared at Ness as Bit pulled his eyelid down, a tongue shown at the kunoichi but the Zealotus thought it was aimed at her.

"We got it!" Shou replied, giving a re-assuring thumbs-up.

"I know YOU got it, but I'm talking about her!" Faust replied, narrowing his eyes at the kunoichi. Evidently, he still remembers the time she spent all of their zeny on a helm she managed to break when it was supposed to be for supplies. Shou chuckled as Ness fumed.

"Shut up, Faust, you jerk!" Ness began stomping away to the market as Shou laced his fingers behind his head, accompanying the rookie Ninja to make sure the money wasn't spent on useless crap.

"That's CHIEF JERK to you!" Faust responded as he slammed the door shut. He wanted the last words. By this time, Sigma's face was way too comically distorted. He even had stars circling his head.

"Hi, Mr. President! I like... banana lumpia... egg rolls..." Sigma nearly fell face flat on the ground but as fate conspired against him, the door slammed him back to the wall.

"Au revoir! Going to sell at Prontera now!" Sardine waved with her cart and her Rocker in tow.

"Be careful out there!" Faust called out.

"Oui, papa." Sardine rolled her eyes at the senior member.

"And don't talk to strangers!" Pierciel added.

"And watch out for creepy, old men!" Ibuki included as well, a sarcastic look of concern worn on his face.

"Yes, yes! I'll be fine!" Sardine began trotting her way to Prontera.

"And make sure to look at both sides of the road!" Faust added before Asaka closed the door shut.

"Blah-blah... blah... blah... eeehhh..." Sigma fell to the ground. A few minutes afterwards, he got up, dusting himself off as he re-adjusted his armour. "Fuck you, guys..." Sigma gave the finger to the door and the wall.

"All right, guys, we're heading off!" Ibuki called out as the door opened but Sigma managed to dodge that one. Right besides him were Faust and Asaka, the trio in pursuit of an event mob hunt. They spotted Sigma and it looked like he was going to hurl. As if irony was miraculously pressed upon him, he had a wooden cane in hand so yes, he did look like an old man.

"Never thought I'd actually see this day come." Faust quirked a 'brow as Asaka held back her laughter. Ibuki didn't bother holding it in, though, and he even started slapping his knee at the sight of Sigma.

"Shut up," Sigma demanded, making it seem like it he was personally insulted but he wasn't. "Where are you guys off to, anyway?"

"MVP hunt. Eddga," Faust answered, standing leisurely with one fist on his hip. Asaka nodded in agreement with a smile as she held her hands like most Priestess normally do while Ibuki continuously laughed at Sigma.

"We could use an extra blade," Asaka suggested.

"Yeah, gramps. Join us!" Ibuki welcomed Sigma, wiping some tears from his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Let me get my spears." Sigma turned around to the building but was stopped by Faust.

"Or you can use that cane." Faust began snickering, making it seem like he was trying to avoid being obvious about it but having less effort in doing so. That set off a chain reaction and the three started laughing before jogging away. Sigma felt a vein popping on his temple, his eyes darken with comical rage as thunder and lightning filled the atmosphere, metaphorically and literally.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Sigma screamed loud enough for the Valkyries to hear as the earth trembled, several mirrors cracking but it was stopped as Bit came crashing through the door. He was flung by the Zealotus, and once again, Sigma was smashed to the dirt from the door with Bit's weight crushing him.

"What did I do?!" Bit cried out as the Zealotus stood in front of him, her eyes filled with daggers befalling upon the poor Crusader as she grit her teeth in anger, her hand gripping her whip. The rest of the guild looked on as what appears to be a misunderstanding is taken place.

"Shouldn't you help him?" Ara asked Pierciel. She thought about it, but shook her head.

"Naaahhh." Pierciel began sipping from a juice box as Ara fed her Lunatic, the rest of the guild resuming their previous activities while the Zealotus repeatedly beat on Bit, putting more pressure on Sigma as the Alice began sweeping the floor, the dust going to Sigma's face.

"I fuckin' hate this shit..." Sigma said aloud before succumbing to the idiotic antics the guild held.

_... Yes, this was the reason he was called the Grand Daddy Cacktus._

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_

**AN:** If anyone is wondering why "Cacktus" is spelled as such, it's an inside joke and will remain an inside joke.


	4. Chapter PORK

_**the First Musketeer **_

"Sigma!" a voice cried. Sigma turned around to see someone donning armour similar to him, although his chain-mail was nearly torn apart.

"What?" Sigma paused in his tracks, folding his arms at a fellow Swordsman as he ran up to the older gentleman. The veteran Knight waited as the Swordsman tried catching his breath.

"Are you really going to challenge Phreeoni on your own?"

"Why not?" Sigma smirked, displaying confidence.

"But it's powerful! You could lose your life!"

"Yeah, so? You don't have to be careful about every decision you make. Not everybody can have a strategy at the moment but you just have to do what you have to do."

"But you can think rationally, sir. You can wait for another day to fight until you're more powerful and..."

"What, are you doubting my abilities?" Sigma furrowed his eyebrows at the youth.

"N-no! Of course not!"

"Then shut the hell up because you're wasting my time. Listen, kid, if people need it, if you need it, then you do whatever it takes to get it. That's why you wanted to become a Swordsman. You don't think about what YOU want; you think about what people want. I don't gotta' babysit you through this. If it costs a sacrifice, then it costs a sacrifice. You can do nothing about it so stop your whining."

"Yeah, but..."

"Listen, it's just Phreeoni. This village needs it taken down. You don't gotta' worry. Like I said; you don't have all the time in the world to stop and think about what could have been instead of actually getting up and doing what you SHOULD have been doing. Don't be a wimp."

The Knight said no more, instead turning around to exit Morroc as the Swordsman stared blankly at Sigma. The man boasted confidence, sure, but he earned it. The man has the battlescars to be talking with confidence. There was a village South-East of Morroc that had been running into trouble from the fiend and not many people replied to their pleas. Those who did ended up turning into stone. Sigma wasn't dissuaded, for it wasn't the first time he ran into Phreeoni. The first time was when he and Ibuki accidentally ran into it once during a game they played in their youth though it was sort of their fault.

**FLASHBACK**

It was the usual routine: Ibuki would cause trouble to a group of travelers, mostly Merchants, and when the Merchants would give chase, Sigma would hurl sand at them then take their money. Of course, they were lucky enough to steal from actual bandits so there weren't any negative repercussions. When they returned home, they usually got a lecture from their caregivers while Asaka would watch in delight as the mischievous duo received punishment.

However, one day, the duo decided to use Ibuki as bait like usual. He laid dead in the hot sand while Sigma waited for the opportunity, a wooden stick in hand. Ibuki peeked, noticing a carriage walking towards him. He saw how it was encrusted with gold and ivory, and thought about how they were going to get lucky. Sigma thought the same as the gold nearly blinded his eyes even from such a distance. As Ibuki prepared, the carriage came under assault from a gigantic beast. Without hesitation, he got up and stood in awe at a grotesque fiend, its tongue sticking out. Ibuki wasn't afraid but he did scream in terror. Its fumes stunk so bad it caused pain to his eyes and Sigma thought his friend was terrified. But because he was a friend to Ibuki, he ran as fast he could with his stick in hand.

"YOU FUCKIN' STINK!" Ibuki screamed with his fist launched towards Phreeoni who just happened to stare at him. When his fist collided, Phreeoni managed to absorb the impact without any signs of pain. "Oh, hell no..."

"I'm coming to the rescue, turd breath!" Sigma called out with what could be the last time he could tease his friend. Ibuki turned his head sharply at Sigma's direction with an insulted expression on his face. "HOLY SHIT, IT STINKS!"

"Help me kill it!" Ibuki yelled after yanking his hand out from its body.

Sigma swung the giant stick at Phreeoni's head, though it seemed to absorb the blunt force. It didn't stop Sigma as he kept on swinging even beyond the weapon's condition. Ibuki flung stones at the fiend's head but that didn't seem to bother it, either. This left the two with an option: to unleash their ultimate attack that they practiced for so long.

"Ibuki!" Sigma called out. Ibuki nodded without looking at Sigma. Knowing full well his comrade was ready, Sigma entered a squat, his arms faced outwards to the left as he glared at Phreeoni. "FUUU-..."

"-SIOOON!" Ibuki held the same stance but his arms were facing the opposite direction. They synchronized their movements as they approached one another, their arms rising in a half circle before their pointer fingers met.

"HAAAHHH!" Ibuki and Sigma cried simultaneously as the both of them were bending their sides towards one another. That didn't seem to do anything, and Phreeoni just stared blankly at the two. A brief moment passed as an expected tumbleweed rolled by.

_Thirty minutes later..._

Sigma and Ibuki held the same pose as Phreeoni's eye was trying to remain awake. Neither of them seem to budge so the fiend decided to take a short nap. Unfortunately, Phreeoni felt the sun had been blocked so upon opening its eye, he saw only Sigma charging at him. Hell, he even looked like he was flying towards him. Thinking he just treated to himself to a free meal, Phreeoni heard a deafening cry that sounded similar to an annoying little blond brat trying to be the ultimate ninja of a village from some anime the two used to watch. Looking up, the MVP saw a descending figure and upon realization, it was Ibuki with his fist held back preparing to send another punch. With this, Phreeoni decided to focus its attention to Ibuki, completely ignoring Sigma as the future Lord Knight threw himself at the MVP, spinning rapidly with his feet extended towards it. Before Ibuki sealed his fate inside Phreeoni's stomach, Sigma slammed his feet against the belly of the beast, causing it to lurch forwards as Ibuki slammed his fist on its head with maximum power. Blinded by their trickery, Phreeoni panicked and tried to flee but it was futile. Ibuki and Sigma ascended simultaneously, the skies turning somber as they begun to spun before taking different elegant poses, their eyes closed as music can be heard within a five mile radius.

"FIGHTING EVIL BY MOONLIGHT!" Ibuki sang with a tone that professional sopranos would envy as he twirled flamboyantly.

"WINNING LOVE BY DAYLIGHT!" Sigma followed shortly afterwards, his voice suddenly turning angelic as he began posing almost... gayly.

"NEVER RUNNING FROM A REAL FIGHT!" Sigma and Ibuki joined hands, their cheeks pressed together as they were suddenly adorned in female sailor fukus, their faces covered in make-up that would accentuate female features nobody thought they EVER had, their legs were suddenly shaven as their hair grew soft, clean and glistened to the sunlight as their figures began to change shape similar to an adolescent female's as their chests grew, making them well-endowed with boobs that may or may not contain silicone. The scenery suddenly stopped, both of them in mid-air as Phreeoni was frozen in its tracks, footsteps heard in the background as a man approached.

"Just kidding," an all too familiar deity said and gave a cheesy thumbs-up as the scene rewinds before the two took flight.

"What the hell..." Sigma started.

"What?" Ibuki looked at Sigma stopping his tracks.

"Why does it feel like something weird just happened? And why do I want to beat up a man in a tuxedo?"

"You're thinking stupid again."

"Shut up."

Ibuki and Sigma looked back at Phreeoni, the fiend not being able to distance himself far enough from the crazy duo. Ibuki cracked his knuckles as Sigma ran to it, a golden aura surrounding his form that shone with determination displayed vibrantly as Ibuki followed suit as an aura of scarlet outlined his form. After closing the gap, Sigma repeatedly slammed a new stick he acquired along the way on Phreeoni's head, jamming wounds into the beast with Ibuki a few paces behind. By the time Ibuki made his stop, Phreeoni was hurling, signifying that the fiend was on the brink of incapacitation. Bringing his fist upwards in a swift uppercutting motion, Ibuki delivered what would have been the fatal blow to Phreeoni to its mandible, sending the fiend skyrocketing into the air. Sigma's eyes gleamed with a madness comparable to Ibuki's as he jumped up, bringing his stick skywards as momentum accumulated to capitalize punishment.

"SIXTY-NINE!" Sigma's warcry filled the vicinity as he felt his stick collide with Phreeoni's body for the sixty-ninth time. The MVP fell to the ground as sand covered its entirety.

"That sounded dirty," Ibuki commented.

"Hell yea'." Sigma gave a high-five to Ibuki then a low-five.

_When the two returned home, however..._

Sigma and Ibuki sat down at the end of the docks back home at Louyang. The both of them had been grounded for returning home rather late and their parents were worried sick. Both of them felt defeated yet still felt great about themselves after learning they took down an MVP on their own. They began skipping stones into the water, not noticing Asaka was about to join them.

"We did good, huh?" the young Ibuki asked.

"Yeah, we did..." Sigma re-assured his friend. He heard feet approaching them so he turned around, seeing Asaka running to the boys. "Hey, Asaka."

"Hi, guys!" Asaka waved as she ran.

"Ew, you're covered in mud," Ibuki pointed out as he noticed brown stains on Asaka's dress.

"It's chocolate!" Asaka defended. The little girl fumed with rage but that failed to intensify. It wasn't a natural trait of Asaka's anyway.

"You pig out too much, Asaka." Sigma snorted as Asaka glared at him.

"Hey, I heard you guys beat up a beast," Asaka inquired. She liked hearing stories about their adventures despite how dangerous they happen to be.

"Yeah, but it was nothing," Ibuki replied a little arrogantly. Hell, Sigma even posed like a superhero as Asaka gasped in excitement.

"Can I come with you guys next time?" Asaka smiled with a glint of hope.

"No way! You're a girl!" Sigma snickered.

"Yeah!" Ibuki agreed as he crossed his arms in defiance.

"Oh, come on! Please?" Asaka pleaded, giving the two the cutest face she could muster. Ibuki and Sigma looked at one another before giving her a reply.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Sigma approached the Southern entrance of Morroc, leaving the safety of Morroc's walls but stopped because without turning to see if he was there, he knew Ibuki was leaning against the wall with one foot pressed against it and his arms folded. Asaka was underneath a coconut tree with the Black Guy by her side, a giant leaf giving the Priestess some shade from the boiling rays coming from the sun.

"Ready?" Asaka asked the three.

"Ready!" Ibuki declared.

"Ready!" said the Black Guy.

Sigma smirked at the unbeatable attitude the group had. After all those years being together, the trio decided to become warriors not just to defend people but follow their own sense of justice, what they believed to was right. And so far, no pessimistic, skeptical individual managed to correct their choices; what was right to them, was right to them and anybody said otherwise stood little chance. Those who tried failed, and each time they brought more rewards upon themselves with each success. Sigma chose to become a Knight for destructive power but he would have a reason to lay destruction. Looking to his comrades, he nodded.

"Ready," Sigma replied. The remaining three approached Sigma, accompanying their friend back to the desert where he and Ibuki last fought Phreeoni. It was time to transcend.

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_

**AN: **If anyone took notice, one chapter will introduce a certain character while the second will give minor details about how the chapter's protagonist came to be- so on and so forth. This will continue before actual quests begin. Read and review, stay tuned!


	5. Chapter FIFE

_**the Mentor**_

"That's CHIEF JERK to you!" Faust yelled, slamming the door hard enough to break Shou's glasses. He didn't fret, however, as he pulled another one out from his sleeve, wiping it clean before putting it on.

"So mean!" Ness declared. She huffed but wasn't at all offended.

"He owes me another pair of glasses," Shou commented. Ness tilted her head to the side before literally skipping her way down to the bazaar, humming to herself.

Their list of supplies consisted of food and beverages for the guild as well as miscellaneous items they needed for a quest they have yet to take. Shou was carrying his bag containing his paraphernalia he normally brings when he played the supportive role whilst Ness held on to the grocery list. The silence was enjoyable for the both of them, though the sun setting would put a slight discomfort for Ness. The kunoichi wasn't aware of the dangers Rune-Midgard had but having Shou around helped that obliviousness. There was a reason he became a Priest in the first place. After a few moments of silence, Ness stopped in her tracks though Shou didn't seem to notice, instead he saw a small carnival in the distance just beginning to start. After realizing Ness ceased her humming, Shou paused and turned around to see Ness pondering to herself.

"Something wrong?" Shou asked. Ness looked up, a little hesitant to ask the Priest whatever question she had in mind.

"Shou?" Ness decided to ask.

"What is it?"

"How come you follow me around without complaining?"

"Without complaining?"

"Yeah."

"You have to be more specific."

"I mean, Ara gets frustrated with me, Bit likes to tease me, Ibuki thinks I'm a little girl and I know Faust would rather die on the battlefield if I'm there..." Ness began staring at the ground with a pathetic look on her face. She started to twiddle her thumbs nervously as she began voicing out certain insecurities.

"Well, Ness..." Shou tilted his glasses upwards.

"... but you don't. You don't find me... incomplete. Or was it that word? I forgot what Faust used to call Ara..." Ness began wrinkling her nose.

"Incompetent."

"Yeah, that! You don't think I'm incompetent."

"You're not."

"But why? Nobody really likes to help train me... I'm kind of useless to the guild..." Ness squatted to the ground as she began plucking at the grass.

"You're not useless, Ness." Shou felt pity for the Ninja.

"Then why do I feel useless? I don't know how to fight at Ara's level and everyone gives me chance when I spar them. It's like I'm not even taken seriously. It's like I'm one big joke to everyone!" Ness' voice seemed a little choked up but Shou couldn't see if tears were already forming around her eyes.

"Ness, you feel useless because you let yourself feel useless."

"Because I am! Even you can survive longer than I can. All I can do is kick this rock!" Ness got up and decided to kick the rock that was conveniently placed next to her but felt the shock to her foot after doing so. After yelping in pain, Ness looked down to see the rock had remained stationary. "AND I CAN'T EVEN KICK THAT DUMB ROCK!"

Shou chuckled to himself as she slumped on the ground. He walked casually to her, taking a spot next to the kunoichi. She turned slightly to the side opposite of Shou almost childishly. Shou lowered his face down a little with a grin on his face.

"Ness, you're expecting too much of yourself."

"Am not!"

"You're comparing yourself to Ara, for one."

"Because she can handle herself!"

"No, she really can't."

"Yes, she can! I've seen her fight!"

"She can handle certain things but she can't handle everything alone."

"But she's still better! I can't do anything right..."

"Is that why you're always asking things from her?"

"Well, yes. She was my first friend in the guild."

"Because you have a history."

"Well, duh."

"Ness, comparing yourself to someone else is ridiculous. And it's useless."

"But... you know..."

"And it'll never happen."

"What will never happen?"

"You becoming Ara. It will never happen."

"Why do you say that?"

"You're a Ninja and she's a Huntress, for starters."

"Well, obviously..."

"Where you excel, she won't. Vice-versa."

"But..."

"And comparing yourself to other guild members is pointless. You can never battle like Faust, so don't try to compete. Same way Faust can never battle like me. You're comparing opposites of different coins from different countries together and you're trying to find similarities. The only similarity would be the fact they're currency."

"Yeah, but they're still coins though."

"Exactly. They're still coins but they're all different."

"So you're saying..."

"What I'm saying, Ness, is that no matter how hard you try, you can never use a coin from Rune-Midgard to buy an item from a different realm. The same way you can never wield Faust's dagger at the same capacity he can, nor can you use the same bow Ara uses like she can... but neither of them can demolish an Anubis like I can."

"What are you talking about? I've seen them take on Anubis!"

"They could but they can't do it like I do. Faust relies on certain strategies where he's forced to hide whereas Ara has to deal massive damage to it."

"How do you do it?"

"Not like them."

"How do I get better then?"

"Easy. Stop putting yourself down."

"Easier said than done..."

"But it gets easier when you do actually do it."

Ness paused and looked at Shou staring off into the distance. The Priest was observing the carnival's participants enjoying numerous activities as laughter filled the empty silence. Ness thought about it; Shou was right. Maybe she's taking things a bit differently than she should've been instead of doing what she needs to be doing.

"So why do you like to follow me around?" Ness asked. Shou turned over to Ness, noticing a curious look the kunoichi gave him.

"Because you're the rookie."

"You're saying I can't handle myself now?"

"I didn't say that."

"So what are you trying to say?"

"Better question: what are you trying to hear?"

"Wha'..." Ness squinted her eyes at the confusion Shou gave her.

"It's not complex when you think about it. You don't have a teacher in the guild."

"What do you mean?"

"If you were to absorb everything around you for one moment, you'll see everyone works in pairs even though they're not necessarily consistent."

"Like whom?"

"Ara and Ibuki."

"Ibuki is mean to Ara, though."

"No, he's not."

"I see him act mean to her!"

"It doesn't mean he's actually mean to her."

"What do you mean?"

"It could be a way to mentally harden Ara."

"Why would he do that?"

"One thing you'll learn from battle is you must be prepared."

"I know that!"

"No, you don't," Faust's voice interjected. Ness looked up to see Faust glaring at Ness with Ibuki, Sigma and Asaka right behind him.

"Who asked you!" Ness growled but she noticed Faust wasn't his usual comical self. The stare he had this time was out of the character she was familiar with; this one gave her an anatagonistic chill to her spine, one that felt like a death sentence. She sat back down after Faust's eyes weren't taken off from the Ninja and after an uncomfortable amount of time, she reverted hers from his.

"Evening," Shou greeted.

"Hey, Shou!" Sigma raised two fingers.

"Hey, guys," Asaka greeted politely.

"Yo'!" Ibuki's voice boomed. Shou grinned at the four before fixating his attention back to Ness and noticed her discomfort.

"You okay, Ness?" Shou asked.

"He just got scary..." Ness whispered. Shou gave a re-assuring pat on her back.

"Like I said, Ness, you must be prepared," Shou jerked his thumb over to Faust.

"You don't know the laws of battle, Ness," Faust began to verbally torment her.

"You don't know that..."

"How am I going to know if you don't show you know it? You say you know you have to be prepared but you shouldn't be asking these questions if you really were."

"You know what, Faust? You're not the best fighter in the guild!" Ness stood up. Shou followed suit but preferred to stay out of this quarrel.

"I didn't say I was."

"Then stop acting like you are!"

"What makes you think I'm acting like I am?" Faust furrowed his eyes at the defiant Ninja.

"Because that's how I see it!" Ness cried loud enough for a few pedestrians to notice the group. Ness paused after noticing Faust forming a smile before covering his mouth with his scarf; thinking about what she just said, she looked at Shou who gave her an congratulatory smile.

"Ness, that's how you see it but that's not how Faust presented himself," Shou commented. Sighing in defeat, she closed her eyes but listened.

"Fine... I'm all ears." Ness held her hands behind her back as she hung her head a little low.

"Good. Then maybe you will learn the laws of battle when you actually listen," Faust remarked. "The previous conversation seems a little too sensitive, we'll be on our way," Faust added. Shou nodded.

"Be careful," Shou advised the group but he didn't need to worry about them.

"As with you," Asaka returned the courtesy to Shou and Ness before joining her companions.

"You looked intimidated for a second there, Ness."

"Well, yeah. I'm used to Faust getting mad at me but not that kind of mad."

"Meaning the funny kind instead of the serious Faust?"

"Yeah... I mean, I never actually knew Faust can be really mean."

"He can be cruel when he needs to be. But not everything seems that way. There is a reason why he's a chief."

"You're right."

"And Ibuki isn't mean to Ara the way you see it. Not everything is exactly what it seems. Sometimes... sometimes you have to infiltrate the interior in order to comprehend the exterior."

"English please."

"You have to go inside to understand the outside. You can't judge a book just by its cover, no?"

"Right..."

"You have to read the story to the end before you can call it a bad story."

"I guess you're right..."

"No, I know I'm right. You cannot assume every form that a sentient being has is the life that they're supposed to live."

"Wha'..."

"Meaning just because I'm a Priest doesn't mean I have to act like one. Just because you're a rookie doesn't mean you have to feel like one."

"So the reason why you follow me around is because?..."

"Because I chose it. Because I can help you. Because I know what it's like to be alone and it's unfair for you to be alone. And regardless of what you think, how you feel, you're never truly alone. You have us."

"You're the only one with the patience to help me."

"Because I'm capable of doing so."

"Even fighting on your own." Ness giggled.

"Including that. I become what I need to be for the guild."

"Isn't it unfair, though?"

"What's unfair?"

"You're saving my neck more than you should be saving the others."

"Because I never have to worry about the others."

"So you worry about me more?"

"I do but that's because nobody else is really equipped to help you. It doesn't matter what Bit does to try and help you progress but you have a better chance of survival with me. He's still learning from everyone else, especially from Faust. So far you don't know how many times he had to pull a rescue mission on Bit..."

"From Faust?"

"In a way, yes. Bit can be considered Faust's protege but Faust can be considered Ibuki's whereas Ibuki's can be considered mine."

"This is all confusing..."

"Faust teaches Bit everything he knows about certain aspect of life. So in a sense, everyone has special properties towards one another."

"What about you and Faust?"

"Faust and I are counter-weights."

"What's that?"

"Polar opposites."

"But you seem to get along."

"We do. We're on opposite ends of the same boat but we're on the same boat regardless. Just because we're opposites doesn't mean we're enemies."

"Oh! I thought you meant... yeah..."

"Nah, we have mutual respect."

"Are you stronger than him?"

"If I wanted to be. It all depends on how you play your cards right."

"Have you beaten him in combat?"

"That would be confidential, Ness." Shou chuckled at the rather curious girl. "Even if I did, it wouldn't mean much."

"Why so? You'd be the best fighter in the guild."

"What would be the point of that? I don't have a need to be the best fighter in the guild if I know what I'm doing."

"Isn't that our goal? To be the best?"

"But why fight amongst ourselves to become as such? We have a common foe, then we become an alliance. You learn coordination better with friends than enemies."

"I guess..."

"So do you understand why now?"

"A little."

"Feeling better?"

"Definitely better."

"Good. So I don't follow you around just because you 'suck' or whatever you want to call yourself. It's because I have to and because I want to."

"So I can get better..."

"Exactly. It's better dying besides your friends than living alone."

"You sure know a lot, huh?"

"You learn from people."

"Even you?"

"Absolutely."

"Don't you learn from books?"

"How are books written?"

"By other people..." Ness paused, finally understanding her own situation a little bit more.

"Like I said, nothing is really what it seems, Ness."

Shou and Ness noticed a juvenile bird on the ground after it attempted to fly but failed. Ness was about to grab the avian but Shou prevented her with his arm blocking her path. Before she could question his motives, however, Shou motioned for Ness to continue watching. After a few trials, the bird took flight and soon enough it was soaring through the violet skies. Maybe there was a symbolism Ness needed to see, and like how the bird failed yet tried and tried again, maybe Ness will be able to break free from her bonds of insecurities. Shou wasn't there to babysit, no, but Ness needed a confidant. And that's what Shou decided to become. The guild itself, in reality, happened to be filled with learning masters and tasks can be complicated.

"Hey, Shou?" Ness spoke up.

"Yes?"

"Let's go to the carnival!"

"Ness." Shou cleared his throat, adjusting his collar.

"Yeah?"

"We're supposed to spend the money on supplies."

"Oh, shoot! You're right!"

"That's another reason why I followed."

"Shut up." Ness furrowed her eyes at the Priest but smiled at him.

Ness led the way as Shou watched the Ninja skip merrily to the bazaar, her self-esteem seemingly restored. Shou sighed as two Anubis crept up behind him. However, without bothering to turn around, he quickly brought his knuckles up in a rapid motion similar to a stereotypical martial arts master to meet the Anubis' nose, an immense vibration disrupting the quiet balance as a heavenly light rained down upon them with both fiends releasing a terrifying wail as tendrils of light rises from the ground with the destruction of its nasal cavity from the superior force; the decapitated head flies to the second thrall, shattering its skull as both fiends fall dead from the massive power the Priest held within.

"Now stay there," Shou commanded humorously to the corpses as they began to dissipate. Shou smirked, pushing his glasses upwards.

"SHOU! HURRY UP, SLOWPOKE!" Ness called out as she beckoned him to follow. Clearly, she didn't notice what happened but it's probably for the best.

"Coming, coming!" Shou rolled up his sleeves as he began to wipe his hands from the disgusting gunk he received from the demons. "Filthy, filthy, fil-..." Shou felt something squishy on the floor and he recognized that foul stench. He didn't have to look down to know he stepped on cow dung.

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_

**AN: **I kind of forgot to point out the time-lines will be a little off so hopefully this clears up any confusion.


End file.
